light duty shaper Delta WWII to about 1980

Hi:
I am considering buying a second hand Delta shaper with a 1/2 inch spindle.
This looks to be a very solid semi table top type machine.
How large a spindle can I put on this machine if I am careful and are there
larger spindles available for this machine?
Thanks,
FRED

that shaper is a real find...built like a battle ship.....you can
reduce 3/4" bore shaper cutters to 1/2" to fit your 1/2"spindle...be
careful with large raised panel cutters and you should be fine.....I
would not go any larger.
Happy woodworking
Mike from American Sycamore

The largest spindle available for the Delta light-duty shaper is 1/2".
I have a 3/4" spindle for mine, but it's one I made myself. The Delta
uses a two-piece spindle - a hollow outer spindle that runs in the
bearings with a taper ground in the end, and the interchangeable
working spindles that fit into the outer spindle. I made up a solid
spindle which replaces both pieces, but requires more work to change.
I feel better running large cutters - such as slip collars with raised
panel knives - with the 3/4" spindle, but there are lots of people who
run large cutters on the 1/2" spindles.
John Martin

I never saw a 3/4 as an option for the LD shaper going back to about '78
when I bought the first of three...
That would seem way too much for the way they were designed unless as
apparently did John, the whole thing were replaced.

Don't follow you---there is no taper on the LD shaper replaceable
spindles--they're turned down to a small diameter to fit into the fixed
portion--don't have it handy but that portion is probably only 3/8".
Even though it's held, it just seems too small to me to hang a 3/4"
shaft off of...

Actually, there is a taper there. But it's a locating taper, not a
holding one. It's around 45 degrees per side, and very short. The
spindles are held more by the short stub, 1/2" diameter or so, that
fits inside the hollow spindle. Ignore my measurements - they're
guesses from memory.
You're right in that the small holding area of the spindle would make
the 3/4" diameter somewhat useless.
For the solid spindle I made, I started with a piece of axle from the
junkyard. Annealed it in the fireplace. Removed the hollow spindle
from the shaper (large nut under pulley, then pulley and round key).
On one end of the axle I duplicated the hollow spindle - shoulder,
turned to fit the bearings, threaded for the nut, milled slot for the
round key. The other end I turned to 3/4", threaded for locknuts,
milled flats at the top for a wrench. I did not bother with a groove
at the top for an internally keyed lock washer as Delta uses for the
1/2" spindle, so I use an extra nut as a jam nut at the top. All in
all it's a pretty easy metal lathe job, with the only tough part being
getting the bearing fits right. I didn't heat treat afterward, but
feel that in it's annealed condition it's stronger than the heat
treated 1/2" spindle. Turned a bunch of spacers to fit.
I've also made up spindles to fit the hollow spindle - a 5/16" to take
the small cutters, and 1/4" and 1/2" chucks to take router bits. Those
chucks are simply bored spindles with set screws to hold the bits.
They don't hold quite as true as a collet in a router would, but they
work well.
John Martin

I don't think so on the LD...the same stub shaft that was on Amazon
yesterday (as unavailable and it wasn't there today when I went to
reference it so I guess my hitting an unavailable part triggered their
update robot) is the one that fits my circa '75 machines.

Just dawned on me...you're talking about the base of the spindle above
where it's turned down to the small diameter...that part is of very
little consequence other than for providing a base for the cutters to
ride on and a shelf for the tensioning rod to tighten against--it
doesn't proved any rotational strength which is limited by the turned
down lower shaft---that's what concerns me about using larger cutters on
the LD shaper.
I was mistaking your comment to be refering to the lower end and that it
was a tapered fit, sorry...

Nice idea...I had never actually looked at how the hollow spindle was
attached.
The locating groove on mine aren't tapers either, there is just a milled
hollow to align and prevent rotation against the small balls on the
inner surface of the hollow shaft....

I have one. I use 3/4" cutters with bushings to fit the 1/2" spindle. I have
not found a stub spindle, which I would like to have. Mine is a Rockwell and
it is a solid machine.
It will raise panels and make doors all day long. :-)

And pray tell, what would that be? :-)
How about traditional sash making as shown in the Delta book "Getting the
most out of your Shaper"?
I have used hand tools to make the m&t joints, but the flat top to the
spindle would sure make the task easier.

Last I knew the stub spindle was still available from Delta.
Unfortunately, they no longer make the 1/2" cutters to use w/ it and to
date I've found no one else making the undercutter for making the full
length tenon.
DAGS and it looks like it too, has been discontinued....looks like no
new accessories for the LD shaper are available any longer. I don't
know what would happen if needed repair parts...
I had talked briefly w/ one of the custom shaper cutter vendors about
making matching sash undercutters for 1/2" spindle to go w/ somebody's
existing sash set but never followed up. If there were several here
interested, we could probably get a few made for not too bad a cost/unit
by amortizing the setup costs across say six or so...

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